Pumphry and Booth's Spurs

[BettyO]

Found this article which states that Booth not only rented his mare from Pumphry, but also his spurs! I have never heard of this before. Sounds logical. Livery stables rented all sorts of equestrian equipment for horse and rider.

Any opinions on this?

   

[Rsmyth]

More spurs! Weichmann said he walked into a meeting of the conspirators at the Surratt house and there were a pile of spurs on the bed. Oldroyd purchased a spur from a neighbor of the Mudd's, Annapolis has one, Ford's has one; another was picked up from the stage... Doherty obtained on at Garrett's farm. There are more spurs than people who claimed to have carried Lincoln from the theater.

[RJNorton]

There are more spurs than people who claimed to have carried Lincoln from the theater.

Rich, the list I have been keeping is now at 24 men carrying Lincoln to the Petersen House.

[BettyO]

Good reply, Rich! I had forgotten about Weichmann's account of Powell and Surratt playing with Bowie knives and spurs spread out on Lew's bed.....

It's hell getting old!

[JMadonna]

Good reply, Rich! I had forgotten about Weichmann's account of Powell and Surratt playing with Bowie knives and spurs spread out on Lew's bed.....

It's hell getting old!

Try doing a differential equation!

[Hess1865]

we should call this 'spur of the moment'......

[Francis Farrell]

As with many obituaries and reminiscences, this is being written many years after the fact and the facts "as remembered" or "as told to". We need to always take these things with a hefty dose of "show me". What do we know of JWB- we know he was an accomplished horseman from youth up at Bel-Air. It is unlikely that Booth had to "hire" spurs, I am sure he had several sets in his trunk for costumes and I am equally sure he owned multiple sets. I have at least 10-12 from my days riding of various types. JWB I am positive had several sets available to him. We notice that Davey Herold and Lewis Powell who were both riding at the start of the night are not mentioned wearing spurs (does anyone have another information?). This is somewhat unusual but not exceptional, you can ride without using them and depending on the horse no spurs may be be better than spurs used improperly. There is of course no spur attached to th boot surrendered by my neighbor Dr. Mudd. The spur Oldroyd purchased has a provenance that is at best sketchy (1901) , the annapolis one is equally shady. Ford's I would have to check the accession tag. I would check with Mr. Garrett, as he has already looked into this aspect and may have the answer more readily available. I think that we may have to check the remaining boot in Greenmount to look for a mate.

yr ob svt

FF

[RJNorton]

There are more spurs than people who claimed to have carried Lincoln from the theater.

Rich, the list I have been keeping is now at 24 men carrying Lincoln to the Petersen House.

Rich, make that 25. Blaine sent me a 25th name. Thank you, Blaine. We now have 25 men carrying the president to the Petersen House.

[Rsmyth]

Hi Roger, can we get the details?

[RJNorton]

Hi Rich. The 25th man to make such claim was William A. Stone, 6th governor of Iowa (1864-68). He was at Ford's, but it's highly unlikely he actually got within ten feet of the president according to Blaine's message. Of course this is also very likely true of some of the other folks who made the claim.

The full list of men who claimed (or were given credit) is as follows: Dr. Charles Leale, Dr. Charles Taft, Dr. Albert King, Albert Daggett, Augustus Clark, Capt. Obadiah Jackson Downing, Capt. Edwin Bedee, Major Isaac Walker McClay, W.H. Flood, Frederick Johnstone, Jacob J. Soles, John Corey, Jacob Griffiths, William Sample, William McPeck, John Weaver, Joseph Hazelton, Capt. Owen, Capt. John Sears, Capt. John Busby, Capt. Oliver C. Gatch, George A. Clark, Thomas Gourlay, John Veach, Major White, William Greer, and William A. Stone.

If anyone knows of additional names not included above please send! Many thanks!

[HerbS]

If a ski resort can rent any kind of equipment,I suppose that a stable can rent spurs! Don't you think that if everyone who claims they had ancestors[DAR] on-"The Mayflower"it would have SUNK???

[L Verge]

I know that Lincoln as a tall man, but 25 people surrounding and touching him is ridiculous! The poor man would have suffocated before they reached the outside stairs to Petersen's home!

[Rsmyth]

Thanks Roger. I looked him up. He had an interesting service career.
After the attack on Fort Sumter in 1861, Stone enlisted as a private in the Union Army. He was quickly promoted to captain, and then major, of Company B, Third Iowa Infantry. He fought and was wounded at the Battle of Liberty, but returned to fight at the Battle of Shiloh, where he was taken prisoner. Stone was paroled by Jefferson Davis and sent to Washington, D.C. to negotiate an exchange of prisoners; after initially failing to reach an agreement, he returned to Confederate captivity, was again paroled, and was released after an exchange agreement was reached. In 1862, Stone was promoted to colonel of the 22nd Iowa Infantry. He led that unit in the Vicksburg Campaign, and was again wounded at the Battle of Vicksburg

[SpruceCreekHawk]

During livery man Jame's Pumphrey's testimony on May 15, 1865 at the trial, he testifies that "He took a spur out of his pocket and stooped down to put it on." Although he testifies he provided the English bridle, snaffle bit, and English saddle, he specifically testifies not providing the spurs. It seems more likely to me that the obituary was embellished as Pumphrey had provided the get-away horse and really had nothing to gain by saying he hadn't provided he spurs. If anyone knows when James Pumphrey was arrested (following his statement on April 15 to Col. Henry H. Wells), if he was, indeed, incarcerated at Old Capitol Prison, and if he was released prior to his testimony at the conspirators' trial (or after?) I would appreciate it very much.

[RJNorton]

Jean, welcome to the forum! I cannot answer your questions about James Pumphrey, but my favorite Pumphrey story is the charge of trying to cheat the gas company!

http://www.congressionalcemetery.org/sit...mphrey.pdf

The Evening Star, April 14, 1883
Mr. Pumphrey's Gas Economizer
How He Was Victimized by a New Invention
James W. Pumphrey, the well-known livery stable man, of No. 485 C street, was put on trial before the Police Court today on the charge of fraudulently obtaining gas from the Washington gaslight company by conducting gas to his stable otherwise than through a meter.
John P. Meyers, an employee of the gas company, testified that when he went to take the state of Pumphrey's meter he found a rubber pipe attached to it, which conducted the gas around instead of through the meter. Mr. Pumphrey's counsel said they did not deny that this was a truthful statement, but the defendant would explain the whole matter. Mr. Pumphrey said that he had been troubled with a leaky pipe. He sent for a plumber, who refused to remedy it, saying it was the gas company's business to do so. Mr. Pumphrey complained to the gas company, who put in a new meter, but the pipe still leaked. Afterwards a man, giving his name as Dougherty, came along and claimed to have an invention that would save twenty-five per cent of the gas bills. He called his invention a "governor," and Mr. Pumphrey allowed him to put one in; but the gas meter is kept in a box, and Mr. Pumphrey said he had not seen it since the "governor" was attached. It was this invention which the gas company complained against. "I can hardly believe that Mr. Pumphrey--a business man--would undertake to cheat the gas company in this way," and Judge Snell, "and his explanation shows that he has been the victim of a practical joke. The case may stand suspended for one week, that Mr. Pumphrey may settle the matter satisfactorily with the gas company.

(thanks to Dave Taylor for that discovery)